Threads of Destiny
by BoxingBunny
Summary: Destiny itself is like a wonderful wide tapestry in which every thread is guided by an unspeakably tender hand, placed beside another thread and held and carried by a hundred others. Kagome's thread touches more than she ever knew. Kur/Kag/Youko ON HIATUS UNTIL JANUARY 2013
1. Prologue

AN: After taking a small, impromptu hiatus from writing and concentrating more on my art portfolio, I've been inspired to once again get back to writing! Too bad it's not on any story I already have, right? I was inspired to do this by a piece of line art by sugar0o that I colored. My colored version is on my deviantArt page (the homepage link on my profile) if you want to have a look!

This story is going to be hard to categorize for me…as far as the pairings go anyway. I'm not going to give anything away just yet, but there's a character that is Kagome yet isn't at the same time. She'll be involved in a Kurama/Kagome/Youko pairing triangle/square. I've never tried anything like this before, so here's hoping that everything works out okay! I hope you enjoy!

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_**"Destiny itself is like a wonderful wide tapestry in which every thread is guided by an unspeakably tender hand, placed beside another thread and held and carried by a hundred others." **_**– Rainer Maria Rilke**

Threads of Destiny

Prologue

Two years before a priestess and half-demon were killed in a web of greed and deception, one year before the same priestess and half-demon fell in love, and only months before the two met, there was a very different tale unfolding in a distant forest to the south. But what none of the parties involved would ever think to imagine was that their destinies would all become tangled together very soon.

It was a clear and beautiful night as the full moon shone down on the southern forests of Japan. It was a wonderful night for a heist. Or at least it would have been. Youko seethed as he darted through the trees as a glimmering blur of silver in the moonlight. The forest foliage was heeding his call to grow and tangle so that the dogs and guards following him would fall behind and lose him. Said dogs and guards belonged to the manor of a local Lord whose home he'd recently paid a visit. There was rumored to be resident priest at the manor who was the guardian to a most interesting item; a mirror which would grant anyone their wish at the cost of their life.

Youko had no intention of ever using such a foolish thing, but bragging rights and an addition to his treasure was more than enough reason to make a move for it. The only problem was that the mirror was already gone…and the entire house had already been roused into a frenzy by the time he arrived.

Pausing on a branch and swiveling his ears to listen to the forest, Youko determined that he had effectively eluded the party that had been previously hunting him. He dropped to the ground and brushed pristine his robes to remove any lingering dirt from his unplanned retreat into the forest. The whole while he fumed in his mind about how the night had been so severely botched. _'Was my information incorrect?'_ He wondered. If that was the case then his informant would need to be punished. But he'd never been given bad information before. His plans were always checked and double-checked before he made his move. It was why he was so successful. _'Did someone get there before me?'_ Youko's eyes narrowed. That had been happening more and more often lately.

But his ponderings ceased and his body stiffened when something brushed against the shell of his right ear. It was something…fluffy. As it happened again and again, Youko's face deadpanned before setting in a scowl. A light giggle rang through the air as the light brushes against his ears stopped completely. _'Damn her…'_ Youko growled internally as his fists tightened.

Just as the thought flitted across his mind a vixen dropped from a branch above him. Red fox tails tipped in white swayed and twitched in amusement behind the she-demon as she straightened herself. Youko allowed his eyes to roam her figure and size up his possible opponent.

Two red ears with white tips sprouted from a sea of midnight hair that reached well past the vixen's hips. Seductively thick eyelashes framed sparkling sapphire eyes. Full, ruby lips were tilted in a smirk in the middle of a porcelain-skinned face. A scandalous outfit of green and pink hugged the demoness's voluptuous curves. Each move she made sent a light tinkling through the air as her gold jewelry and pendants clinked together. He knew the creature standing before him to be beautiful, intelligent, cunning, and charming. She was the absolute bane of his existence.

And at the bane of his existence's hip hung _his_ mirror!

"You will give me that mirror now, woman," he demanded as gold met sapphire in a hard glare.

"Why hello to you too, Youko. I'm doing well. And how are you doing?" The demoness knew how to push his buttons, but he was in no mood this night.

"Insolent kit. You planned to take that mirror before me. The guards were on alert by the time I arrived and came very close to achieving my hide as a new pelt." Youko wanted to yell and rant, but he would never sink to such lows in front of this…this…contemptible creature.

Blue eyes lost their playfulness as dainty clawed hands were placed on shapely hips. "I've outgrown the title of 'kit' don't you think?" She asked as she bent over slightly to teasingly expose more of her ample cleavage to him.

"I'm in no mood to humor you, Manami. You will give me that mirror and stop interfering with my plans."

Manami lifted a delicate eyebrow at the command and felt her internal fire spark and raise her ire. "Pardon me, but I will do no such thing. Not only did I steal this first, fair and square, but it's not my fault you always seem to be one step behind." She turned her nose up and began to saunter away with her tails twitching in annoyance behind her leaving tiny fires where they grazed the grass.

Youko saw red. Before either of them knew what had happened, the tall silver fox had the smaller red one pinned to a tree with a hand around her throat. "You are a good thief, but your attitude will be your undoing. You will never be invited to be a member of my thieves' guild. If you interfere with another job, I will personally make sure that you have a run in with an amorous group of bounty hunters." His voice was deep as a growl made every word echo with a threatening roughness. He knew that he had gotten the desired effect when the smaller fox demon began to tremble. She may have put on a large bravado but Manami was still young. She was strong and smart which gave her an advantage on others her age, but when she tried to compete with him she was far out of her league. He was sure that one day she would be equal if she trained her potential, but right now she needed to learn her place.

Tossing her between the surrounding trees, Youko stood tall as he glared down at the younger vixen. Her ears were pressed against her skull and her pupils had dilated. Her scent was still laced with fear, but she was ready to fight him if it came down to it. Their species put them at odds with one another in their abilities. His earth-based abilities were easily burned away by her fire, but her fire could just as easily be extinguished with the proper tactics.

In a bold move, he turned his back on her and prepared to leave her be for the moment. Then a thought struck him and he smirked at his new plan. Without turning around, he addressed her, "There's a jewel in the care of a priestess to the west. It's very powerful and very well protected. I have other things that interest me more at the moment, but if you are able to bring it back to me I may reconsider you status as a 'kit.'" With that he left her to her own devices.

With any luck Manami would take the bait and he would have a moment's peace. She was talented, but she was also cocky and arrogant. There were times that she would show up and seem tolerable, but she grated on his last nerve more often than not.

It would be one week later that Youko would find a piece of parchment outside of his den saying that the next time he saw her would be with the jewel he'd mentioned. He would have been happy if it weren't for the anxious feeling that settled in his stomach.

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Manami had followed the rumors and tales of a powerful relic for several months before she found a small village. She could feel something powerful calling to her and had to shake her head to clear her mind of the lustful haze wanting to take over her mind. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right. There would be no rushing in head-first or figuring it out as she went. She would devise a plan worthy of Youko himself.

For now she would observe from a tree near the village. The first step would be to learn the village's schedule and the way the people—and especially the priestess—moved.

As Manami settled into the boughs of a tall tree, she briefly thought that this was a nice area. Maybe when she decided to settle down and claim her own territory, she would come back. _'This seems like the perfect time for a nap,'_ she thought as her eyes drifted shut.

A high whistle was the only warning she got before she threw herself off the branch as an arrow ripped her sleeve instead of burying itself into her shoulder. Sharp blue eyes scanned the area and landed on a young woman dressed in red and white with long black hair and a serious face. Another arrow had already been brought up as the priestess to aim once more.

Manami knew better than to stay and fight an archer with no long-range weapons of her own. Fleeing deep into the forest was the only option at the moment and that's exactly what she did. She was glad that the priestess decided not to follow her, but she was also now posed with a new problem.

If the priestess guarding the jewel was that perceptive, how was she going to get close enough to devise a plan?

Sliding down the trunk of a nearby tree, she began going over her options. Returning to the south was out of the question. She would not go back without something to show for it. But she couldn't get close to the village as she was now, either. The specialty of her race was the art of illusions and misdirection. But she still needed a lot of practice with her illusions. Fire was never a problem for her, but her magics were lacking.

But what other choice did she really have? If she could conceal her presence and blend in with the village, it would make things much smoother in the long run.

Manami heaved a heavy sigh as she fell over and lay in the grass. She always did hate practicing magic, she thought as she ran a hand up her arm until she reached the rip in her sleeve. "I can't believe she tore my clothes," she grumbled before wrapping her tails around herself and drifting off into her previously-interrupted nap.

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It was nearing two years that she had been gone from her southern den. Manami had of course fashioned herself a new, albeit temporary, den in the forest surrounding the small village, and she had to admit that she still rather liked the area. It wasn't as hot as her home, but it wasn't really cold either. Things were temperate and calm. But the time to execute her plan was fast approaching.

The last two years were had been interesting to say the least. Once she had become adept enough at hiding her presence to venture near the village, she noticed that the priestess had started keeping company with an adolescent half-demon. He appeared to be younger than herself and wore all red. But there was something about his appearance that made her homesick. She told herself every day that it didn't have a single thing to do with his silver hair and ears and golden eyes.

But he likely wouldn't have those much longer if she didn't make her move. He and the priestess were planning on using the jewel to make him human so that they could have a life together. Manami was almost sad to see that happen. Over time it had become something of a pastime to observe the young, mismatched couple. Their destinies had put them on two very different paths, but they were fighting to be together as much as they could. It was all very dramatic and romantic, if you asked her. It had brought out a soft spot that she often tried to ignore or repress.

She needed to go home. She needed to get away. She needed to get back to her more cutthroat tactics. As much as she liked it here, it was too peaceful for a master-thief-in-training.

"Tomorrow," she said to herself as she watched the odd couple embrace. "I'll steal it tomorrow before they meet."

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As the sun broke over the horizon, Manami stealthily landed on the shrine grounds from her perch in a nearby tree. The priestess would be here soon to attend to her duties. Manami had been running late. Pesky doubts had almost made her back out, but if she ever wanted to be seen as an equal she had to get this jewel.

She was just rounding the corner of the building that housed the jewel at night when a dark presence made itself known. Her eyes landed on a hazy silhouette in the shadows as a deep voice reached her ears. "I've been watching you. You've waited for a long time for this moment. Unfortunately, so have I. The jewel is mine. If you wish to continue living, leave this place."

Manami tried to see past the shadows, but still couldn't make out this figure. "I need this jewel before I return home. Nobody is going to stop me, especially not some coward who hides in the shadows," she growled as she pulled her sword from her side and heated the blade with her fire. Hot steel would slice through this stranger with little problem.

But one thing she wasn't expecting was a large tentacle shooting for the darkness with the clear intent to impale her. She barely dodged it before charging forward on the offensive with her sword ready to take the monster's head off. But when she reached the shadowed area, there was nothing. Her sensitive ears twitched at the light rustle of fabric and she turned in time to slice through another tentacle that had gotten close to her shoulder. By the time she looked to where her opponent should have been he was gone once more.

_'Who in the hell is this?!'_ She thought as adrenaline coursed through her system. The entire time that she'd been observing the priestess and the jewel she'd never sensed another doing the same.

Manami's ears swiveled and twitched as her tails wrapped inward toward her body for protection. She was expecting another attack from behind and when she turned at the next noise, she was met with two things. One was the frightening face of a horribly burned and disfigured man. She couldn't be positive, but it looked as though something was _moving_ underneath his skin. It rolled and bulged in places before returning to where it should have been. She thought that it was making her sick to her stomach until she looked down and saw a tentacle buried deep in her abdomen.

Manami couldn't even choke out a sob as her throat constricted and tears of pain began to trail down her cheeks. Her face contorted in a silent scream as the creature still impaling her pulled her closer and inhaled deeply to revel in her agony. It wasn't just the pain of having a hole in her stomach or even the burning of the poison that she could feel being pumped into her system. It was the fact that she had been so close to her goal. For two years she had waited and watched and trained only to be killed a few feet away from what she sought. Now she was going to die away from her home in a land where she didn't know anyone. Her friends would likely never know what happened to her; they would only know that she disappeared one day.

"Now," the deep voice began again. "Go die in the woods like a good little fox." With that she was thrown far back into the forest before landing roughly on her shoulder and arm with a sickening crunch.

_'No…not when I'm so close…'_ She thought through the painful fog enveloping her world. Forcing her eyes to remain open she drug herself back to her small den as best she could. It took much longer than she had anticipated and it was midday before she was within its cool depths. Her energy was almost completely gone and Manami knew that her life was very close to its end. But there was something, one last glimmering hope in her darkening world.

The Forlorn Hope. The mirror she'd beaten Youko to would be her last chance.

She dug through her sparse belongings and found the item she needed. Lying down on her small bed, her final resting place, she addressed the mirror. "Forlorn Hope, I have a wish," she wheezed.

"You understand that I will take your remaining life for this desire, correct?" A deep, other-worldly voice echoed around her.

"Yes…" She closed her eyes.

"You may continue."

"I wish for a way to possess the jewel. Any way at all. I need it to gain his respect…" Manami hoped that the mirror heard her. She could feel her life slipping away faster and faster and didn't think she had the energy to ask again.

"I have heard your wish, and it will be granted. Your life energy is now mine."

Manami's world went black as cerulean eyes lost their luster and all sounds of labored breathing in the small den ceased.

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Five hundred years later in a hospital in Tokyo, a woman gave one last laboring push before collapsing against her husband as she heard an infant's cry pierce the room.

"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Higurashi. You have a beautiful and healthy baby girl," the doctor told them as nursed cleaned the newborn.

When the infant was handed to her parents they marveled as large, stunningly blue eyes stared back at them. "Hello, Kagome. Welcome to the world," the woman whispered to her daughter as she tiredly played with a tiny fist.

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AN: And that's my prologue! You can probably get a rough guess as to what happened, huh? More will be explained later, most likely in the next chapter. I hope you liked it! I promise I'll work on something for a story I already have posted next, okay?? ^_^; Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 1

AN: And I'm back to this story! Oh me and my jumping around ways. I should probably work on that whole 'focus' thing. But I've got my inspiration now so I'm going to jump right into it. Sorry for the wait and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Threads of Destiny

Chapter One

Kagome stepped outside of her family's home in Tokyo and took a deep breath. It wasn't as refreshing as the air in the past, but the sunshine on her face still made her smile.

Life was good. It was summer and she'd recently graduated high school. Her family was doing well; her grandfather was as lively as ever, her mother always wore a proud smile for her children, and her brother was doing well in school and on the soccer team. Naraku had been defeated, but there were still a few more rogue shards that needed to be rounded up. Not that she minded. That meant that she still got to see her friends in the past. If the jewel was finished before the summer was over, Kagome would be able to start her first term of college with no other worries!

The thought of college actually made Kagome smile even brighter. Not because it was a new chapter of her life or because she had been accepted into a very nice university, but she was going to be attending the same college as her boyfriend of the past two years.

They hadn't gone to the same high school and he was a year older than she was, but they'd managed to find each other somehow. And it was a very good thing that they had! All things considered, they were perfect for each other. He was able to accept her strange life because she was able to accept his. Her mother absolutely adored him and her brother had found a hero who was a little closer to home than Inuyasha. His mother thought she was a blessing in her son's life and had welcomed her with open arms into their family. And Kagome was fairly certain that both of their mothers were looking forward to the beautiful grandchildren that the two youths would (hopefully) eventually produce.

But Kagome's thoughts were interrupted when strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist from behind. A deep purr vibrated through her chest as a nose was nuzzled against her neck. "Since Red got to have breakfast with you and your family, I get to walk you to the well," a deep voice stated.

"Good morning, Youko," Kagome greeted. It was interesting having a boyfriend with the most severe split personality in the world, but it was one of the things that made them able to work as a couple; she had seen stranger. She was well aware of the two souls residing within Kurama's body and she had been for almost the entirety of their relationship. All it had taken was one poorly timed visit from Inuyasha for Kurama to step forward to defend her against the unfamiliar demon. But one choice word from Kagome and several from Inuyasha had led to a lengthy explanation from all parties involved. And while the two males still weren't fond of one another, they tolerated each other while in her presence…most of the time.

"So remind me again why I don't have meals with your family?" Youko questioned while lightly gripping her small hand in his much larger one as they walked towards the well house.

"Because you still tend to put my grandfather on edge and we don't need him to have a stroke," Kagome explained jokingly. "But my mother greatly appreciates the flowers you've started growing in her little garden out back. She's always going on about how beautiful they are."

Youko preened slightly. "I'm glad she enjoys them."

"So what are you and Kurama going to do to keep yourselves busy while I'm gone for the next week?" Kagome asked genuinely curious.

"Well as long as Koenma doesn't call us away on a case, I suppose we'll do what we usually do while you're away," Youko answered before being interrupted.

"Try and take over the world?" Kagome joked remembering one of her favorite childhood cartoons.

Youko gave her an odd look with a delicate eyebrow arched in her direction. Kagome sighed as she realized that he obviously didn't get it. "No, my ambitions haven't been that high in quite some time," he answered her. "We will probably spend some time with our human mother, catch up on some reading, and hopefully get a little gardening done if the weather continues to be this nice."

"That sounds great," Kagome said as she turned to face the demon once they reached the well house doors. "I hope you guys have a good week. We should go see a movie when I get back this weekend. I'll let you and Kurama decide which one."

"I'll discuss it with him. Have a safe trip and be careful on the other side. I'm well aware of how dangerous that world is," Youko said as he wrapped his arms around the small woman he'd fallen in love with. It still surprised him sometimes, but there was no denying what he felt for the strange little priestess. "There are many demons that would love to claim such a beautiful woman all for themselves," he purred with a devilish grin on his face. "I was one of them, after all."

Kagome laughed as she swatted his chest. "I'm well aware of the dangerous—and in your case deviant—demons running around in the feudal era. But I'm a big girl and can take care of myself. And when that doesn't keep the guys away, Sango and her large boomerang usually does the trick. I've still never heard anything about you in the past, though."

"I was well known in many circles, but much farther to the south than where you usually travel. But don't worry, I was incredibly infamous and my reputation always preceded me." Youko smirked at his little lover.

Kagome rolled her eyes and sarcastically drawled, "Oh yes, I'm so proud." But she hugged him regardless of his ego. "Behave and I love you."

"Always. And I, you." Youko answered before tilting Kagome's face up so that he could place a gentle kiss on her lips. "Now go finish saving the past so that we'll have a future to spend together."

"And you guard the present so that it's still here when I get back!" Kagome called as she trotted down the well house steps with her yellow backpack slung over her shoulders.

Youko watched her disappear in a flash of blue light before closing the well house doors and relinquishing control over to his other self. _"You heard what she said about the movie this weekend, right?"_ Youko questioned his human counterpart.

"Yes, I heard her. We'll look to see what will be playing when we get home." Kurama continued to make his way down the shrine steps as he did so often these days.

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When Kagome landed on the bottom of the well five hundred years in the past, the first thing she noticed was an odd shadow being cast from the top. Glancing up to the top, she grinned at the sight of a fluffy tail twitching back and forth. "Shippo!" She called up to the demon child.

A small, shadowed face peeked over the edge before a response came. "Kagome! Hurry up; everyone is waiting for you at the village! There's rumor of another shard showing up a few villages away!"

Climbing the vines that had grown between the stones of the well's walls, Kagome made her way to the top with her backpack in tow. She inhaled deeply in the world that had come to be known as her second home and felt like new life was being brought into her lungs. "Come on, Shippo," Kagome said as she opened her arms for the young fox. "How has everyone been?"

"Sango and Miroku are still working on building their hut," the kit counted off on his small fingers from his position on Kagome's hip as they headed back to the village. "Kaede's doing better after she fell last week; she's back in the herb garden today. Inuyasha has helped Sango and Miroku a little with the heavy lifting, but other than that he was going to other villages looking for shard rumors. Kirara and I played the hopscotch game you showed us with the other kids!"

"That's great, Shippo," Kagome smiled. She was glad that he was able to make friends with the human village children so easily. Maybe their generation would be the start of filtering out some of the unfounded prejudices against demons, both full and half-blooded.

The two continued to chat until they reached the village where Kagome greeted the rest of her friends. The day continued to go wonderfully until she stopped in front of Inuyasha who was glaring at her. She already knew exactly what the problem was and she rolled her eyes as she put Shippo down. Smiling as brightly as she could at her friend, she greeted, "Good morning, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha's scowl only deepened as he walked closer and leaned in to sniff at her scent once. "You smell like roses," he ground out.

"Why thank you," Kagome answered as cheerfully as she could. She knew exactly what he meant by the comment, but she also knew that it was best not to take the bait.

"It's _not_ a compliment," he growled as he walked past her.

"He's never going to get used to you having a serious suitor in your time, is he Kagome?" Sango asked as she stepped next to her best friend. In her opinion it was good that Kagome had found someone in her own time. While she knew that Inuyasha cared for Kagome, she often feared that he would never be able to give his entire heart to her. And, frankly, she didn't think that Kagome deserved anything less.

"It doesn't look like it," Kagome answered as she turned to give the older girl a hug. "Though it would probably help if Kurama was part demon, himself. I think that threatens Inuyasha more than anything; the whole alpha-male-rival thing, you know?"

"Oh! Kagome, Kagome!" Shippo shouted from her feet as though he'd just remembered something. "Did Kurama send me anything this time?"

Kagome smiled down at the young fox. Even though he'd never met her boyfriend, Shippo had found a role model in the older fox that would occasionally send him things. "I think he may have put some new seeds in my bag. He said the leaves would be very helpful with your magic, so be sure to take good care of them. Maybe you could draw him a picture as a 'thank you' for me to give to him?" She suggested as she fished around in her bag for the small pouch of seeds.

"Okay!" Shippo said excitedly as he bounced from foot to foot in anticipation.

"Yes, how is Kurama, Kagome?" Miroku asked as he watched her look for Shippo's seeds. He was also glad that she had finally found someone to make her happy. They had all noticed the change in her general attitude over the years. This male was good for Kagome.

"Oh, he's fine. It's summer right now and we don't have school so he's been spending a lot of time with his mother and friends. We're going to a movie when I go back at the end of the week," Kagome explained. "Here we go, Shippo! I don't know how they got all the way down to the bottom of my bag."

Shippo immediately opened the pouch and looked inside seeing the new seeds. "Can I go plant these in my garden before we leave?"

"No!" They heard Inuyasha yell from several huts down. "We need to get moving now! You can play farmer when we get back!"

Kagome noticed how Shippo's face fell and kneeled down to his level before speaking in a low tone, "You can either wait until we get back to do it yourself or I'm sure if you asked nicely, Kaede would be happy to plant the seeds for you while we're gone." She winked at the young kit before his eyes lit up once again and he hugged her before running into the hut where he knew the elderly miko was preparing herbs to be dried.

When Shippo returned he once again jumped into Kagome's arms as they began walking. If they were lucky and made good time, they should be able to make it to the village they were looking for by late afternoon or early evening.

=.=.=.=

"Kagome! Where's the jewel shard?" Inuyasha yelled as they faced off against the giant mantis demon. Apparently the demon had been on the move in their direction and it hadn't taken them nearly as long to find it as they had originally thought.

"The back of its head!" Kagome shouted to the half-demon.

The demon was much larger than they had heard and was proving to be much more of a challenge than they had anticipated. It was much too large for Miroku's sutras to make a large impact and its armor-plated forelegs continued to block Sango's Hiraikotsu. That meant that it was up to Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga or one of her arrows. But at the moment she was afraid that she wouldn't have a clear shot without injuring one of her demonic friends.

Kagome was about to tell Shippo to run back to the tree line and find somewhere safe to hide until the battle was over when she noticed that the young fox was no longer by her side. "Shippo?" She yelled in a panic.

But when she spotted him, her heart dropped. Somehow the kit had gotten himself closer to the danger zone and would likely be crushed if something wasn't done. So, feeling her maternal instincts kick in, Kagome bolted forward hoping to reach the red-head in time.

Kagome reached Shippo just before one of the mantis' legs would have crushed him, but she was able to erect a barrier around them to keep him safe. But once the holy power of the barrier burned the demon's leg, its full attention was on destroying the holy energy. It brought its forelegs down on top of the small barrier repeatedly while Inuyasha and the others tried to stop it or at the very least divert its attention.

Kagome could feel the barrier starting to weaken with each powerful blow. Her shields were far from perfect and had been a work in progress for some time now. It not only took a large amount of her energy to maintain but under an assault she tired much quicker. "Kagome?" She heard Shippo ask in a fearful voice. "Are we gonna be okay?"

Tears began to leak from Kagome's eyes at Shippo's small voice. "Yes," she strained. "We're going to be just fine," she reassured even though she could feel herself weakening. But it was the next blow that did her in and the barrier dissolved as she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. She was awake but far too tired to be able to move on her own. Angry and frustrated tears burned down her cheeks as she knew that she couldn't protect herself and Shippo anymore.

Kagome could feel her chest tighten as an odd feeling washed over her. It felt like something was trying to fight its way out of her very body. The only thing that she could think of to compare it to was when her soul had been pulled from her body. But she was tired, far too tired to fight whatever the feeling was. So, sending Shippo a silent apology, she gave into the feeling and opened the dam that was keeping a hidden energy locked away.

Shippo's terror skyrocketed as he saw Kagome collapse and the mantis draw back its leg for the final blow, but a sudden pulse of energy from beside him turned his attention back to Kagome. She was completely still, but there was something off about the scent in the air. He instinctively took a step away from her as she rolled onto her back with her bow and arrow in hand only to fire the arrow straight into the air to strike the large demon's abdomen.

The shard hunting group watched in confusion as Kagome's arrow gave off red sparks instead of the usual pink. When it struck the demon, fire erupted along the demon's exoskeleton and began to consume it completely.

Kagome grabbed Shippo and ran to get out from underneath the inferno. When they reached the top of the small hill at the edge of the field, the miko collapsed once more. Her knees hit the dirt as she dropped Shippo and her bow.

Shippo cautiously took several steps away from Kagome's body. His senses were telling him that this was Kagome, but his more basic instincts were screaming about the nearby danger. A deep growl emanated from Kagome's chest and her fingernails dug into the earth before her arms began to shake and she collapsed onto the ground once more.

Shippo felt the danger pass and warily made his way back to Kagome's side. What had happened? He didn't have much time to think on the subject as Inuyasha came running to Kagome's side and Kirara landed with Sango and Miroku moments later.

"What happened?" Inuyasha demanded as he turned Kagome onto her back so that he could inspect her for any injuries.

"I-I-I don't know," Shippo stuttered. He was honestly puzzled at what had taken place, but something told him that this wasn't going to be the end of it.

"Is she alright, Inuyasha?" Sango asked as she came to stand near her friends. She hadn't seen much of what had happened, but when the mantis burst into flame and it hadn't come from Inuyasha she had been trying to piece together what could have happened. So far she hadn't been able to think of anything plausible.

"She's fine," Inuyasha said seriously. But we should head back to the village soon. I want Kaede to take a look at her. "Miroku, can you keep the shard until Kagome wakes up?"

"Of course," the monk answered as he made his way back to the giant demon's ashes to take the shard.

Sango watched Miroku as she spoke to Inuyasha. "I was on the other side of the demon and couldn't see. What happened, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a critical and cautious eye. He could feel that something in the air had changed, but there was no way for him to identify exactly what it was yet. "I don't know. But we'll go back to the village now and maybe Kagome can give us some answers when she wakes up."

"I hope so," Sango answered as she mounted Kirara and went to help Miroku so that they could start traveling sooner.

_'What's going on, Kagome?'_ Inuyasha thought as he scooped her up into his arms and allowed Shippo to take position on his shoulder before taking a powerful leap in the direction of their home.

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AN: Okay, I could probably keep going, but that would make this chapter ridiculously long and I don't want to burn you guys out on this. It stands at about seven pages in Word right now, so I'm calling it for now. Anyway, this is one of the chapters in my mass-update that I'm doing. Maybe I'll be able to do big multi-story updates from time to time instead of a single chapter here and there? I would usually post things as I get them done, but with no internet where I live now that won't be happening. If you read other works of mine besides this, I'm updating four stories (including this one) and adding a new story :] Well, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 2

AN: Glad to be back :]

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Threads of Destiny

Chapter 2

Kagome groaned as she awoke and cracked open one eye. Her head was killing her and her limbs were stiff. Looking around groggily, she realized that she was in her own bed in her time. The lights were off and she was tucked snugly into the covers. A glance over to the window confirmed that it was still daylight out; late afternoon at the latest. The curtains had been drawn so that she would be able to sleep.

_'What happened?'_Was the only thought that she could muster as she sat up and put a hand to her aching head. Inuyasha wasn't with her. She wasn't in the past. The last thing that she remembered was battling a mantis demon with her friends, but the details were fuzzy. Surveying the room again, Kagome saw that her backpack was propped up against her desk and that a jewel shard was in her small jar sitting on the desk's surface. It must have been the shard they'd retrieved most recently waiting to be purified completely and joined with the almost-complete sphere resting around her neck.

Pushing the blankets from her body and settling her feet on the floor, Kagome stood only to wobble slightly with a small bout of dizziness from her headache. She made her way towards the bathroom with another small groan to see about getting some aspirin. And with white tablets in hand, Kagome made her way downstairs towards the kitchen for some water and, hopefully, some answers.

Mama Higurashi was in the kitchen straightening a few things from where she'd just washed the dishes when Kagome entered. "Kagome," Mama smiled at her daughter. "I'm glad to see you up and about. I was worried."

"What in the world happened? The last I remember, I was in the past with Inuyasha," Kagome said as she grabbed a bottle of water and sat at the kitchen table after swallowing her chosen pain reliever.

"Well you left after breakfast with Kurama yesterday morning and then Inuyasha brought you home this morning. He said that you had fainted after a battle and that they had hoped you would wake up after some time had passed. But when you slept through the day and night and well into this morning, he brought you home in case you needed medical attention." Mama paused to sit down across from Kagome. "I thought we'd wait another day because you didn't appear to be injured. And look…a mother's intuition is right again," she winked.

Kagome smiled weakly at her mother. She always tried so hard and was so accepting of the cards that destiny had dealt her. She knew that her mother was proud of her. If it wouldn't have made her sound insane, Kagome was sure that she would have bragged to her friends and the other mothers that she knew.

"Well then," her mother continued. "Souta has a soccer game in a little while. Your grandfather has already gone to the field to watch them practice before the game and I'm heading that way now. Would you like to go?"

Kagome thought for a moment. It would be great to see her brother play and she knew that he would be excited if she showed up. But she still didn't feel very well and the thought of being at a crowded soccer game right now made her want to cringe. Sadly, Kagome shook her head and said, "No, I think I'm going to sit this one out. Tell Souta I'm really sorry, but I'm just not feeling up to it after whatever happened in the past. I'm just going to stay here and get some rest, a hot bath, and head back to the past."

"I understand, dear. And I'm sure Souta will as well." Mama Higurashi stood from the table and made her way around to hug Kagome. "Feel better soon, Kagome. I'm so proud of you." And with that she kissed the top of her eldest child's head and picked up her purse before waving and heading out the door.

Sighing and massaging her temples, Kagome stood up and made her way to the upstairs bathroom for a nice, relaxing bath with the hope that the steam would get rid of the rest of her headache.

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Steam billowed out of the bathroom as Kagome stepped out wrapped in a fluffy towel with another on her head to absorb excess water from her hair. Humming contentedly, she thought that a hot bath had been exactly what the doctor ordered. Her headache had finally subsided and her stiff muscles had released much of their tension.

Kagome stopped in front of her dresser to pull out some fresh clothes consisting of underwear, pajama shorts, and a tank top. Ridding herself of her towel and putting on actual clothes, she pulled her hair down as well to try to towel dry it a little more before brushing out the length. She looked in the mirror above her dresser as she reached for her brush but stopped short and let her hand fall to her side. Her hair was a wild-looking mass of black waves with a few dark strands falling in front of her face. But she quickly became captivated by her own eyes. They seemed…bluer somehow, almost like they were glowing in the darkness of her room as the sun set outside of her closed curtains.

Holding her own gaze, Kagome could feel her heart speed up and her breathing become shallower. Suddenly her world seemed to tilt and she stumbled to the side a few steps before catching herself on the edge of the dresser. Taking deep breaths now, she pulled herself up to return to her reflection. Something about it was different and was calling out to her. She felt hot and watched as a fine sheen of sweat broke out across her brow even as she clung to the edge of her dresser for balance. That was when a feeling of energy from deep within her came rushing forward and completely brought her to her knees. Panting more than breathing, Kagome dug her fingers into the short fibers of her carpet until her knuckles were white. Unable to wrap her mind around any one thought, her mind became a jumble of sensations and feelings. She was aware that she had felt this before. It was similar to how she had felt when they had fought the mantis demon barely more than twenty-four hours prior. Only this time it was so much stronger. Not the tingling tug at her soul, but a consuming force threatening to tear her apart from the inside out.

But just before she thought that she would scream to help relieve the tension building inside herself, Kagome's vision blurred before blacking out completely.

Kagome was unconscious, but her body remained steady on all fours. Her breathing evened out allowing her chest to rise and fall at a more regular pace. The changes started slowly, but gradually her limbs lengthened and her curves filled out a little more. Her black hair grew longer and began to pool in the floor around her. Furry red ears slowly appeared on top of her head and several matching tails sprouted from the base of her spine, just above the waistline of her shorts. Eventually, clawed hands released the carpeting and reached for the dresser once more to provide balance for shaky legs.

Seeking out the mirror once again, sapphire eyes danced as a throaty, feminine chuckle echoed through the small room. "It is so nice to be free again," a voice slightly deeper and more mature than Kagome's spoke.

Manami stretched her long limbs before looking down at what she now wore. The shorts that Kagome had put on were now much too short and just barely covered her round bottom. The tank top and the sports bra underneath strained against her breasts and rode up several inches. "This won't do at all," she spoke aloud to herself. "Let's see if I can't find something in the girl's closet."

Despite being locked within the soul of Kagome, Manami had been silently watching and listening for years. She had seen what Kagome had seen, heard what she had heard, and even felt tingles of what she had felt. It wasn't as though Kagome's feelings were her own, but it was more like an extreme form of empathy.

Pulling out some dark-wash skinny jeans, a white blouse, and a pair of black heels, Manami looked at the outfit that now lay on the bed. Realizing that these clothes would never fit her figure, she sighed and did the only thing that she knew was an option. It had been centuries since she'd had her own body, but she'd also had a very long time to focus on the power of her soul and her own energy. Those centuries she spent waiting with the jewel and its guardian's soul in limbo had paid off with the mastery of her magics. Now she only had to put into practice the control that she'd learned.

With a deep breath, a blue haze caused her form to shimmer before Kagome's human body appeared where she had once stood. A glance to the mirror made a smirk spread across Manami's lips. Oh yes, her illusions had improved greatly since her death. It wasn't even as difficult as she had been expecting. "Let's see if those clothes will fit now."

Moments later, Manami was examining herself with great scrutiny in the mirror while in Kagome's form. She adjusted the illusion here and there to make it look like she was wearing smoky eye makeup and unbuttoned another button on her blouse to show off the lacy black bra that she wore a little more.

"That's much better," she said as her lips darkened a few shades. "Now to go have a little fun in this modern world. I might even go fox hunting." And sauntering her way down the shrine's steps, Manami made her way onto the Tokyo streets as the streetlights began to flicker to life.

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Yusuke and Kuwabara were walking down the street on their way to the movie theater. They decided to go see the latest action movie together since the girls didn't have any desire to see it. They'd been laughing together and as Kuwabara was righting himself after a playful shove from Yusuke, he looked up and he stopped at what he saw across the street.

"Hey, Urameshi!" He called to his friend who had gone several steps ahead of him already.

"Yeah?" Yusuke asked as he turned around to face his oldest friend and rival.

"Didn't Kurama say that Kagome was going back to the past this week?"

Thinking for a moment, Yusuke nodded. "Yeah, when I asked him if he wanted to go to the movies with us tonight, he turned me down and said that he was going this weekend when she got back. Why?"

Not sure what to say, Kuwabara simply pointed to the parking lot across the street from them. When Yusuke found what he was supposed to be looking for, his jaw dropped. There was Kagome hanging all over an older man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties and they were laughing as they made their way across the parking lot towards the doors of a popular club and bar.

Yusuke closed his mouth and clenched his jaw as he ground out, "C'mon Kuwabara. I think we need to have a talk with a certain priestess." And with that the two men jogged across the street, careful of any oncoming cars.

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Manami had been in several bars and finally found a male who seemed like he would be able to deliver a good time. When he said that he knew of a place that would be more fun, she'd jumped at the opportunity and followed without hesitation. After all, she could easily take care of herself. What could this human possibly do to her? Scoffing internally, Manami laughed at the very thought though the man she was with likely thought that she was laughing at a joke he'd just told her.

They were almost to the doors of the club where she could see the bouncer eyeing her up with an appreciative and lustful gaze when a hand landed on her arm. She almost growled when she felt the strong grip on her arm rip her away from the man she'd arrived with and turn her around. She instantly recognized the two men standing in front of her and she almost smiled at the possibility it presented. _'I guess I'll start my hunt a little earlier than I thought.'_

Yusuke looked up at the human male who looked like he was going to start yelling but cut him off, "Beat it. She's taken and we're about to have a long chat about how you're supposed to be faithful." The glare that Yusuke gave the man finally made him back down and trudge into the club mumbling under his breath, probably about finding another girl for the night.

Turning his harsh glare back to the woman in front of him, Yusuke dragged Kagome around a corner to what appeared to be the loading dock for the club's bar and kitchen. Luckily it was deserted and would serve its purpose for a private conversation. "What the hell, Kagome?" He yelled the only thing that he could think of. "You're supposed to be in the past! How long have you been lying to Kurama about this?"

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes at the detective's dramatics, Manami simply looked at him with a bored expression. Then she decided to have a little fun. Heaving a dramatic sigh, she said, "I've finally realized that I'm just too much woman for him to handle. I came back from the past early to look for another man."

"Bullshit!" Yusuke saw red at the thought of this woman playing his friend and teammate like that. "Kurama deserves better than this. If you want to go screw other guys, then that's your own business. But you're going to do the adult thing and tell him to his face. I'll drag you to his house right now if I have to."

But when Yusuke put his hands on her a second time, Manami let her temper get the better of her. Landing a solid hit in the center of Yusuke's chest, she caught him off guard and sent him flying into a pile of empty crates against the opposite wall.

Kuwabara, seeing that Kagome was about to advance on Yusuke again, rushed forward to grab both of her arms and pull them behind her back. "Kagome, calm down!" He shouted. "We just want to know what's going on. You know how Urameshi can be. Just explain things to us!" But he knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere with her when she began to thrash around in an attempt to get loose.

Pushing himself out of the splintered wood of the crates, Yusuke assumed that Kagome had hit him with some of her holy powers to blow him away. He pulled his communicator from his pocket and flipped it open. He was going to put an end to this. "Botan!" He shouted when the other end of the line was picked up. "Find Kurama and bring him to our position, now!" Snapping the compact closed before an answer could be given, Yusuke rushed back over to where Kuwabara was about to lose his grip on Kagome. If anyone could talk sense into her, it would be Kurama.

Raising his hand, Yusuke brought his open hand down across Kagome's cheek stunning her into silence for a moment. But then Kuwabara started yelling at him. "Urameshi! You can't hit girls! How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Maybe I'll listen when they don't attack me first," he ground out as he watched Kagome's still form. Her head was down and her hair fell in her face, but her body was still too rigid for her to be unconscious.

Manami smirked as she assessed the situation that she was in. The ferry girl would be here any moment with Kurama. But the detective had just struck her and now the two men were slightly at odds. She could definitely use this to her advantage to have a little fun until her "boyfriend" arrived.

Neither boy noticed the slight shimmer of Kagome's form until a sob was heard and they looked down. Kuwabara now held Keiko who was sporting a swollen, red cheek and had tears running down her face. "Yusuke," Manami played up the drama by making her voice crack as she said his name. "Why did you hit me? What did I do?" She asked before she began to cry harder.

Yusuke looked down in absolute horror at what his brain was telling him that he'd just done. He looked down at his hand and then back to the crying woman being restrained by Kuwabara.

"Urameshi…what just happened? I know that I was just holding Kagome!" The larger man questioned completely confused.

But in the confusion of the moment, Manami shifted again and this time a blue-haired ice demoness turned tear-stained crimson eyes up to Kuwabara and simply held his gaze. Kuwabara, for his part, pulled away from her as though he had been burned. Falling to the ground in a heap, Manami toyed with the two men a little more.

"Kazuma…why did you let Yusuke strike me? Why didn't you help me? I thought you were my protector…" She sobbed.

Shaking himself from his earlier shock, Yusuke swallowed thickly and said, "Kuwabara, don't listen to her. I don't know what's going on, but that's not Yukina…or Keiko…maybe not even Kagome." He watched as the woman on the ground stopped crying and slowly brought herself to her feet.

Leveling her gaze on him, she said, "Well that didn't last nearly as long as I had hoped, but what's a girl to do?" She shrugged as she shimmered back to Kagome's form. "I guess I'll have to entertain myself some other way." She then started to take a step only to be blown back to one of the walls by Yusuke's Spirit Gun.

"Urameshi! You'll kill her with that!" Kuwabara shouted at him in shock. He didn't know what was going on, but he couldn't let Yusuke kill Kagome until they knew what had happened to her.

Yusuke never tore his eyes away from Kagome's prone form as she sat slumped against the wall. His Spirit Gun had hit her square in the stomach and he was glad that he hadn't put enough power behind it to kill her. But he was still in shock and extremely shaken. And his body only tensed more when he heard Kagome start to chuckle in a very un-Kagome-like way.

"Oh, you are just making this easier and easier!" Manami called as she stood and brushed herself off. She had a swollen cheek, the stomach of her shirt was torn and slightly charred, and she had a few bruises from being held tightly and hitting a wall. "You guys are actually being very helpful," she said as she made a few more strategically placed rips and tears along her shirt and jeans before breaking one of the heels off her shoe to give herself a limp. "And…" she paused for a moment as she felt the air shift signaling the coming of the ferry girl. "Showtime."

Kurama ran out of the portal with Botan following swiftly behind. The last thing he expected was for Kagome to quickly limp into his arms crying her eyes out. Looking down at her, he was shocked by her ragged appearance. "Kagome? What are you doing here?" He asked gently holding her by her shoulders at arm's length so that he could examine her. "What on earth happened to you?"

"K-Kurama…it was awful!" She sobbed. "I came back early and wanted to surprise you. Yu-Yusuke and Kazuma saw me and dragged me back here. They tried…tried to force themselves on me, but I tried to fight back…"

Kurama looked up to see Yusuke and Kuwabara looking at him with looks of disbelief and outrage. "Guys?" He really had no idea what was going on or what to think. He knew that his friends would never do something like what Kagome seemed to be claiming, but the woman in his arms had no reason to lie to him about something like that either.

Yusuke had just started yelling his protests against her claims, but a voice in his head drew Kurama's attention away from the outer world.

_'Red…'_ Youko started. _'Something isn't right here. This woman…there's something off about her aura.'_

Kurama looked down into Kagome's crying eyes once more and studied her. It took him several moments, but he finally saw it. There was a spark of mischief in her eyes that was incredibly unsettling. "You're not Kagome…" He said softly.

Manami knew that the jig was up as soon as he leveled that scrutinizing gaze of his on her. And deciding not to press the matter, the tears instantly stopped flowing. "You really are too perceptive for your own good…or mine."

Hearing this woman's words caused anger to flare up in Kurama's chest and he could feel that Youko was about to start pushing for control. This obviously wasn't their Kagome, and he was suddenly overcome with the fear that something had happened to her. "Where his Kagome?" He hissed lowly leaning down to this female's face. He was almost nose to nose with her as his grip on her arms tightened painfully.

But he stepped back quickly as a small flash of flames erupted between them. "You know, you're not nearly as intimidating as you used to be," the Kagome impersonator before him said. She took a few steps to close the distance between them and walked a slow circle around him. "In fact, I'd say you've become quite domesticated." Kurama stood completely still and rigid as 'Kagome' traced her fingers lightly across his shoulder and into his red hair. "Whatever happened to that wild streak of yours?" Pulling a rose from his hair and inhaling deeply, she took another few steps back away from him as she said, "You always did grow the best roses, Youko."

When the ancient fox heard his name, heard himself and not Kurama being addressed, he pushed and fought until his consciousness came to the forefront causing their eyes to bleed from green to gold. "Where is Kagome? Who are you?" Youko's deep voice questioned.

"Why Youko, I'm hurt that you don't remember me," the woman said as she placed a hand over her heart in mock-hurt before her image began to shimmer. But the figure of a tall, curvaceous, raven-haired red vixen in pink and green caused Youko to take a sharp breath.

"Manami…"

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AN: Hope you enjoyed! For those curious, all of my medical tests have come back completely normal and they have no idea what's wrong with me. Though I have been able to bring things under control with medication and closely monitoring my diet :] Still hoping to be in my own house with my Baby by the time summer is over. Hopefully, I'll be able to get back to writing without many interruptions now!


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